Turnbull backs yes outcome in marriage vote

AUSTRALIA: Every adult Australian will have their say on the issue of same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told parliament.

He was responding to the High Court’s decision yesterday to dismiss a challenge to the voluntary postal survey.

‘‘[Wife] Lucy and I will be voting yes, and I will be encouraging others to vote yes, but ... above all, I encourage every Australian to have their say because, unlike the leader of the opposition, I respect every Australian’s view on this matter,’’ Turnbull said.

Attorney-General George Brandis told parliament there was now no legal impediment to the survey going ahead.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will start mailing out survey forms on September 12.

A final result will be declared by the Australian Statistician on November 15.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the government would move quickly to put in place safeguards to ensure the survey was conducted in a ‘‘fair and proper’’ way.

The opposition Labor Party has raised concerns that advertising material distributed during the campaign could be hateful and vilify gay and lesbian people.

‘‘We encourage all those involved in campaigning for either the yes or no cases to do so with courtesy and respect,’’ Cormann said.

Labor leader Bill Shorten asked the prime minister during question time whether he would accept an invitation to write a joint letter to Australians recommending a ‘‘yes’’ vote.

‘‘The leader of the opposition can make his case and I’ll make mine,’’ Turnbull replied.

Earlier, he taunted Shorten over the opposition leader’s 2013 promise to an Australian Christian Lobby forum to support a plebiscite.

Labor has twice blocked plebiscite legislation in parliament, saying the A$122 million survey is a waste of money and would unleash hate in the community.

The Law Council said it would advocate for a ‘‘yes’’ vote, arguing that marriage laws should not discriminate on the grounds of gender or sexual orientation. ‘‘Freedom from discrimination is a fundamental human right,’’ said president Fiona McLeod.

Two groups of same-sex marriage advocates tried to stop the postal survey, arguing that the government should not have bypassed parliament in funding it.

The government found the A$122m by using laws to make an advance payment to the finance minister in circumstances where there is an urgent need for spending and the situation was unforeseen. - AAP

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Malcolm Turnbull says Australians should have their say on same-sex marriage, after a court challenge to the postal vote was rejected.